Being a Learned and Virtuous Gentleman

Family Letters for Young Readers： The Family Letters of Zeng Guofan （Volume I and Volume II）

Tang Haoming

Modern Press

November 2022

99.80 （CNY）

There is a famous saying in ancient China that “the virtues of a gentleman can last for no longer than five generations.” There is also a famous saying： “Wealth does not last three generations.” These words mean that it is difficult for a family’s wealth and honor to be sustained for a long time. However， in modern times， there is a family that has produced talented individuals in every generation for the past eight generations， and its descendants still maintain a reputation of integrity and excellence. This family is the Zeng family of Tingxiang， Hunan province， and the one who laid a solid foundation for this family spirit is Zeng Guofan.

Zeng Guofan left his large family， where he lived with his parents and siblings， at a young age. Later in his middle age， he was separated from his wife and children for a long time. The main connection that maintained family ties was through letters. Zeng Guofan valued correspondence with his family， and he was diligent in writing letters himself. Even when he was busy with official duties or during times of war， he took time to write to his family about everyday life and the state of affairs. More than 1，400 of these letters have been preserved and collected in his complete works.

Twenty years ago， I selected over 300 letters from these 1，400 or so preserved letters of the Zeng family that still hold reading value for today’s readers and provided annotations for each selected letter to facilitate better reading. Starting from the family background， education， social connections， and historical context of Zeng Guofan， I explored many interesting topics in the letters and attempted to delve into the heart of a representative figure， while touching on the profound cultural heritage of the Chinese nation. The annotated work was well-received by society and has been reprinted every year， selling steadily.

Modern Press has invited me to select and compile a set of letters that Zeng Guofan wrote to his two sons from this annotated work to create an extracurricular reading material for primary and secondary school students. This choice was made with a professional perspective， as the letters to his sons are indeed the essence of Zeng Guofan’s family letters.

Zeng Guofan had clear expectations for his children. He did not expect his sons to become high officials and make a lot of money， but rather hoped they would become gentlemen who were well-educated and understood the principles of how to conduct themselves. In other words， to study diligently， understand the principles of how to behave， and become gentlemen.

Zeng Guofan conveyed this goal by writing a large number of letters to his two sons. He tirelessly told them what books to read and how to read them well. For example， he wanted his sons to read not only exam-focused books but also books on various topics， such as history and literature and those written by renowned scholars， in order to increase their knowledge and broaden their horizons. When reading， one must do so with an open and humble mind so as to understand the true meaning behind the words.

As a student of knowledge， what are the basic principles that one must understand？ Zeng Guofan told his sons that they should be filial， friendly， hardworking， frugal， and have a heart of benevolence. They must not neglect their responsibilities towards others and matters that concern them. The ultimate goal of studying and understanding how to behave is to become a gentleman. The key to becoming a gentleman lies in one’s moral character. Zeng Guofan told his sons that moral character not only refers to moral qualities but also includes an important aspect -- habits. Good habits are formed from an early age， starting with small things. For example， honesty can start by not lying; diligence can start by not sleeping in; frugality can start by not riding in a sedan chair; humility can start by not ridiculing others， and so on. Small things are easy to do but hard to persist in， but once they become habits， they no longer feel like challenging tasks. Therefore， developing good habits during the teenage years seems quite important， which will bring lifelong benefits.

Drawing from his own life experiences， Zeng Guofan skillfully expounded on the traditional Chinese cultural views and values on life， weaving them into his heartfelt words imbued with paternal love. His writing is like a refreshing breeze or gentle rain， bringing comfort and lasting impact， leaving the reader wanting to revisit it time and again and gain new understandings from the words.

Zeng Guofan’s two sons were raised under such guidance and grew up without deviation from the right path. One became a patriotic diplomat， and the other an accomplished mathematician. They， in turn， passed on this family spirit to the next generation， which continued to flourish and eventually made the Zeng family of Xiangxiang a famous and virtuous household that upholds the motto of “maintaining a clean and fragrant reputation while constantly enhancing moral virtue.”

This is the contemporary value of Zeng Guofan’s family letters. I hope that students in primary and secondary schools can take some time out of their studies and read this book carefully.

Tang Haoming

Tang Haoming is a master of Arts and an editorial reviewer. He has long been devoted to the collation and publication of modern documents and the creation of historical novels.